CARBON FILM RESISTOR WITH A COATING OF SILICON NITRIDE

RESISTANCE A FILM DE CARBONE AVEC ENDUIT DE NITRURE DE SILICIUM

English Abstract

ABSTRACT:
An improved carbon film resistor com-
prising a ceramic substrate coated with, in this
sequence, a carbon film, a coating of an inorganic
material and an insulating layer, electrodes being in
contact with the carbon film, the improvement consist-
ing therein, that the coating of inorganic material
consists of silicon nitride and the outer layer of an
organic lacquer, the improvement giving rise to a
better protection to overloading and a reduced sensiti-
vity to electrochemical corrosion.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A carbon film resistor comprising a
ceramic substrate provided with a carbon film, a top
coating of inorganic material and an insulating layer
and electrodes which are in contact with the carbon
film, characterized in that the top coating consists
of silicon nitride and the envelope of an organic
lacquer layer.
2. A carbon film resistor as claimed in
Claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the
silicon nitride layer is between 0.05 and 0.5 µm.

Description

P~IN 88l~6
AUDA/CB
30.12.1977
~4~67
`~ ~a-r-~n~ lm r~ r
The invention relates to a carbon
film resistor comprising a non-conducting substrate provid~d
with a carbon film, a top coating of inorganic m~terial
and an electrically insulating layer and electrodes which
contact the carbon film.
United States Patent Specification
3,244,559 discloses a carbon film resistor of this type.
With this carbon film resistor the electricallr insulating
layer which may, for example, consist of a glass envelope,
hermetically s0als the subjacent c~rbon film with top coa-
ting. With this prior art carbon film resistor the top
coating consists of a high-melting metal oxide obtained by
decomposing an organic compound. The envelope of glass is
; necessarr because the top coating o~ a high-melting oxide,
for example, silicon dioxide, af-ter the resistance has
been brought to the desired value by locally removing,
scoring etc. of~ the carbon film no longer protects the side
faces of the carbon f~m then exposed from attack by the
atmosphere.
: ~
It is an object of the invention to
pro~ide qualitatlvely comparable resistors of a simpler
construction. A carbon film resistor which satisfies this
o4~ct is charaotsrlsed in that the top ooating consists of
silicon nitride and the envelope of ~n organic lacquer layer~
,
The reslstance can bs brought in the customary mannar to
the desirsd valus by grinding, scoring or otherw-se
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PHN 881~6
30.12.1977
467
locally removing the carbon film together with th-e top
coating. It wa-s surprisingly found that an envelope of
an or~anic lacquer-layer is sufficient, and that a hermetic
seal as required for the construction described in the
above-mentioned United States Patent Specification 3,24LI,
559 can be dispensed with.
The resistors are produced in the
customary manner;
Cylindrical bodies of a ceramic
material are provided with a carbon film by means of a
Chemical Vapour Deposition process~ Thereafter a silicon
nitride layer is applied also by means of a chemical
vapour deposition process. The thickness cf the deposited
- layer may, for example~ be between 0.05 and 0.5/um.
EIereafter cap-shaped electrodes are pushed on the ends of
the cylinder. The resistors are brought to the desired
~lue by removing a portion of the carbon film, whilst the
resistance value is continuously measuredc The envelope
is obtained by coating the resistors with one single
; 20 lacquer layer. The lacquer may, for example, consist of
an epoxy resin. The resistors according to the invention
were subjected to an accelera~ed i'moisture" test. It was
~ound that of resistors having a resistance value exceeding
1000 k ~ after having been immersed in boiling water for 1
hour the resistance value increases by less than 1 % if
~hereafter the resistor is charged to the rated vo1tage
.
If no silicon nitride layer is applied and only five super-
... ...
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PHN 8846
30.12.1977
4~7
imposed lacquer layers of a high quality are app~ed
then the resistance valu~ increases in these circumstances
by at least 10 %~ In some cases the carbon film is then
even interrupted.
The resistors according to the
invention are well protected from overloading and little
sensitive to electrochemical corosion. They have a long
life at an elevated opercting temperature.
l`he invention will be described in
greater detail ~ith ~ference to the accompanying drawings,
the sole Figure of which shows in cross-section an embodi-
ment of a carbon film resistor according to the invention.
In the Figure the numerals have the
following meaning.
1 = cylindrical ceramic body
2 = ¢arbnn film
3 = top coating of silicon nitride
4 _ electrode caps
5 = curr~nt conductor
6 = lasquer layer.
Embodiment-
_ .
A large number of cylindrical bodies
: ': ' ' ' :
of a ceramic material on the basis of aluminium o~ide
having a diameter of 205 mm and a leng-th o~ 5 mm are
exposed in a rotating drum to a gas current of 1 % by
:
volume of methane (CH4), remainder ~itrogen (N2) at1050C
- and a pressure of 1 atmosphere. After a carbon film of
.
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PHN 88l~6
30.12.1977
;7
approximately 0.08/um has been deposited the methane-
containing gas current is replaced by a gas current
consisting of 18% by volume of ammonia (NH3), 0,15% by
volume of silicon hydrid~ (SilI4) remainder ~ltrogen (N2)
and the temperature is raised to 900C. The bodies having
a silicon nitride film, 0,1/um thick, are provided with
metal electrode caps 4 which are pushed on to the ends,
so that the silicon nitride film 3 is locally removed
and a proper elec-tric contact with the carbon film is
obtained. Thereafter current conductors 5 are connec-ted
to the electrode caps by means of resistance welding.
Ther~after the resistors are brought
to the desired value by making a helical incision in the
carbon film whilst continuously measuring the resistance.
The finished resistors are thereaf-ter
coated with a single lacquer layer ~n the basis of an
epoxy resin.
Resistors obtained in this manner
having a resistance value of 1 M Q were immersed for 1
hour in water having a temperature of 100C. Thereafter
the resistors are charged in a room having a relative
humidity of 95% for one hour at the rated voltage (250 V)~
The increase in resistance was not more than 005%. With
resistors without silicon nitride layer bhe resistance
value increased by at least 10 %. However, some resistor
films appeared to have been interrupted. If the resistors
are ~harged in alr in su¢h circumstances bhat they become
_5~
... . .
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PHN 88l~6
30.12.1977
4~i7
red hot, the resistors according to the invention
appeared to return to the original value when cooled .
If no sllicon nitride layer is provided the carbon
film is fully burnt.
: :
~ .
, ' ' .
6-